Moonshine
by Queen Risa
Summary: "The moon shines on many, from past, present, to future." MamoUsa Week 2019, from College AUs, SilMil, Crystal Tokyo, Family Love, and much more.
1. My Boyfriend's Best Friend

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners.**

**A/N: IT'S MAMOUSA WEEK 2019 YALL! So let's cut to the chase and get to the writing below. (yay I actually wrote SOMETHING finally)**

**The first day is free day so anything is on the table. BIG thank you to Mamaladykt for betaing this chapter on such short notice, seriously THANK YOU. It means so much to me!**

**Setting: College AU with a trope or two thrown in lol Yea, it has some length too but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

**Warning: Gets a bit mature-ish at the end but I would say definitely T rated, not NSFW**

**So enjoy whatever my mind thought of lol**

* * *

**My Boyfriend's Best Friend**

The music seemed to shake the whole house, pulsing through the trembling floor and into a swaying sea of bodies. Although currently, the heavy pop beat was making Usagi struggle to hear any conversations directed at her or about her.

"...my girlfriend, Tsukino Usagi," Motoki introduced her.

The petite brunette in front of her flashed a bright smile at her and extended her hand, lips moving but not a single word made it to Usagi's ears.

Hoping the girl said something along the lines of "_nice to meet you"_, she took her hand while smiling back, and nodding.

Then it was shuffling to the next group of friends, faces that she could barely outline in the dark and voices she had to strain to hear, then it was off to the next group with the arm wrapped around her waist tightening, and the constant reek of cheap alcohol hanging in the thick air.

It was the kind of university house party she had always dreamed of attending, one where her every sense was being bombarded with intoxicating smells, thundering sounds, body contact at all angles as you squeezed through tight groups of people. In some rooms, it seemed to be designated as just dancing, then in the next it was a cluster of people gathered around a round of drinking games. The electricity crackled in the atmosphere and Usagi couldn't keep the smile off her face as she was guided by Motoki's hand, through the crowds, greeting random strangers along the way.

She lost count of how many groups they met (_how big is this house?!_) when they finally settled at an aged couch with a few people. Though, just as she snuggled into the crook of his arm, a loud growl rumbled in the pit of her stomach reminding her that it was time for a midnight snack.

"There's a table full of chips and stuff in the kitchen," one of them answered her when she asked.

"I'll be right back," she whispered.

Slipping through various rooms, she found the well lit, and thankfully for her, peaceful kitchen. A few partygoers sat on the dining room chairs or were standing and conversing. Along one wall was a table full of colored bowls and drinks. On cue, her stomach made it's desires known again.

Minutes later, Usagi was moaning into cookies, chocolate bars, anything that made her stomach growl was promptly picked up and _it was soooo good _and they had chocoballs!

"Are you okay?"

"U'm fine," she answered with chunks of chocolate melting in her mouth, and after washing it down with some water, she turned to her concerned neighbor. "I just needed-"

Her throat ran dry, everything in the environment dulling to a low murmur, and speech no longer existed for her when she locked eyes with the deepest, most _gorgeous _shade of blue, and inky black fringe perfectly framing the two endless pools of color.

"...a snack."

Usagi was sure she imagined it, but he seemed to pause for a second as well, taking her in like she had him. If he had, he snapped back to reality faster than she did.

"It just looked like you needed a room alone with that Kit Kat bar," he said, a smirk forming on his lips while those beautiful eyes danced with amusement.

She flushed under his gaze and broke into an embarrassed smile. "To be fair, it's the best flavor."

He kept going, still so amused. "And which flavor is that?"

She pursed her lips, forcing her eyes to center on his perfect face and not his long legs, or the trimmed waist leaning on the table, and confidently answered. "Strawberry."

"Really?" he questioned, quirking one of those sexy eyebrows. "I'm more of a fan of just plain chocolate."

"Oh there's nothing wrong with just chocolate," she conceded, "But strawberry? There's nothing better than the taste of the best fruit ever."

He chuckled, fidgeting with a water bottle. "I don't know."

"Do you not like strawberries or something?!" He was a near stranger but she looked at him with complete, utter betrayal.

His nose wrinkled in disgust. "I don't like them on a chocolate bar."

She huffed, grabbing one of the wrapped candies, and broke one of the rectangles in two. So determined to defend her favorite taste, her confidence didn't start to waver until her hand was mere inches away from the man's mouth and her body right in front of his. "I dare you to try it, and not love it."

He paused, eyes still sparkling, and eyebrows arched, probably wondering if she was serious or not. Those eyes darkened, gazing to her close hand then to her.

After a moment of exchanging challenging stares, her new tall, handsome friend dropped the bottle he had in his hands onto the table, leaned forward, and slipped the piece of candy perched on her fingers, into his mouth. Usagi will never know how she didn't shudder when his lips brushed her fingertips, or how she swallowed down her little gasp at his proximity.

Securing the candy in his mouth, he stepped away (she could _smell _his spicy scent and so badly wanted to lean in) and chewed on it thoughtfully.

He licked his lips and kept an expressionless face.

"_Sooo_….declaration of love?" she managed to ask with sarcasm.

He smacked his lips. "Mhmm…. nope, didn't fall in love."

Suddenly she forgot all about his soft lips and endless eyes, and couldn't stop her mouth from falling open. "WHAT?!"

"Sorry to crush her hopes Odango Atama." And this man had the audacity to run his fingers through her hair ('_okay it felt amazing but not the point'_) and pull one of the long pigtails.

"Are you making fun of my hair?!"

The smirk. _Again_. "No, I'm making fun of your _hairstyle_. Your hair is perfect."

A blush surfaced on both their faces when the words sank in. "Your hair being perfectly clean and, you know not-not dirty I mean…" he corrected, running a hand through his hair and she saw the slight tremble he had.

"Thank you?" A bright smile emerged from her and she saw his little nod. He made a move to leave almost, and everything in her panicked. She didn't even know his name or where to find him or if he wanted to eat another piece of food off her fingers.

Her every sense, every inch of her, _screamed_ to not let him go so quickly and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait-"

When he faced her again, that sensation happened again. It was cliche, even for a hopeless romantic like her, to say it was just a spark that happened, but it was something different, harder to describe.

The music, the smells, everything that had attacked her senses melted away, and she could only see his eyes, which were concerned, confused, although so calm….

"Hey you guys met each other already?!"

Motoki's voice pulled them from their own little world and back into the nearly empty kitchen.

"Motoki."

They looked at each other in complete shock as both said his name.

"Hey Mamoru!" Usagi watched in horror as Motoki hugged the man she had been admittedly flirting with.

"Hi Motoki," Mamoru (was that his name?) greeted back.

Motoki flashed smiles to them both and slung his arm around her. "This is the girl I was talking to you about. Chiba Mamoru, meet Tsukino Usagi, my girlfriend."

His eyes widened in pure horror.

"Tsukino Usagi, meet Chiba Mamoru, my best friend."

Her eyes matched his look. _Fuck._

* * *

He watched from across the room as she and Motoki talked seriously about something. Her pigtails swished around as she shook her head and her fingers twisted one of the buttons on her denim jacket around.

Mamoru could see it. They both had that warm, friendly glow, the relative ease of talking to complete strangers. The ability to make everyone they talk to, like them. It was clear how they both had gravitated to each other.

_Of course_, someone like her would be in a relationship, and of course it would end up being with his only friend.

He had been shamelessly _flirting_ with Motoki's girlfriend, he had eaten candy off Motoki's girlfriend's fingers, he had given Motoki's girlfriend a nickname. _My god, _he had thought about _kissing_ Motoki's girlfriend.

A hand ran down his face, a disgusting ball of guilt building up in his gut at what he did. There he had been, flirting with her while she was probably being herself, all friendly and warm and hilarious, not realizing…

Now he knew, and all the fuzzy feelings should immediately go away because _now_ he knew, it meant nothing, just a few exchanges of conversation and a few laughs.

'_Just be polite to her, pretend she's just like Reika - a friend of a friend.'_

And it worked, the sensations slipped away from him. Peace settled and his heart beat normally in his chest.

Well it worked until his gaze would land on her again. Her chunky high heels, legs in black stockings, short mini shirt, long silky hair pulled into buns, dazzling cerulean eyes….

He swallowed, snapped his eyes shut. '_It was literally a few minutes of conversation, you didn't even know her name until Motoki said it.'_

He breathed out, wondering why it was _so _hard. She was cute - _beautiful _\- but something else kept his mind coming back to her, replaying her laugh in his ear, the image of her smile always appearing, and he couldn't stop any of it.

He chugged his water. '_Motoki, Motoki, Motoki, Motoki…' _

* * *

"You didn't tell him?!"

"I didn't even know he was coming to this party and I never thought… wait you've never met Mamoru before. Why are you so upset about this?"

Usagi stilled, complete deer in headlights. "Because-uh.."

"Do you like him?" Motoki questioned with a sly smile.

"NO!" she denied, resisting the redness that was coming through on her face. "I just wished you-you didn't even tell your '_best friend_' of all people, the truth!"

He rolled his eyes. "_Hey Mamoru, just so you know I bringing a fake girlfriend to that party on Saturday so that people can stop asking me how I am after my break-up_?"

"Yea, that totally sounds perfect to me."

"Usagi!"

"Motokiiii…" she whined. "I know I promised I would help you for one night-"

"And you'll get to have an unlimited supply of milkshakes and have the hook-up to as many house parties as you want on campus."

She mindlessly licked her lips. '_The milkshakes…'_

"And then after tonight, I'll anncouce we broke up and everything's back to normal."

She nodded, knowing she had enthusiastically agreed to this fake dating scheme. Motoki was like her brother and it was one night of lying, and it had seemed like a great idea. Twisting her head around, she caught sight of Mamoru in the corner, downing his water. She almost laughed at how concentrated he seemed.

"Usagi, if you want to stop or leave, we can," Motoki asked, serious and concerned.

She shook her head, smiling. "No, I'm fine."

'_Just a party, just a favor, just one night….'_

She looked over to Mamoru again, his tall statue towering over the table.

'_And just a guy.'_

* * *

"Sooo, uh where did you guys meet?" Mamoru asked the two, attempting conversation.

"She's been coming by the arcade for awhile, we became friends, and well," Motoki shrugged, "It just kind of happened."

"Yup," Usagi agreed, sloshing the liquid around in her cup.

Mamoru nodded, thinking of what else he could possibly ask that wasn't awkward. "How long have you…"

"A few weeks," she answered that time, smile shining bright, though strained.

'_What are you doing Chiba?' _he asked himself. '_Leave, just leave and forget about this.' _

"Attention all partygoers," a voice bellowed out above the quieting music. "For any that are interested in getting wasted _and _having a good time while doing it, follow me!"

"Oh god Toshio," Motoki groaned.

Usagi looked around confused as people shuffled out of the room and into another. "Wait what's happening?"

"Toshio, one of the hosts, always does this drinking game," Mamoru explained, titling his head towards the moving crowd. "It's called Ring of Fire and it's like a card game and drinking game combined or something."

To his surprise, the blonde's entire face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh my god that's so cool! I've never played a drinking game before! Do you guys want to go?!"

The dirty blonde shook his head. "I can't, I'm driving tonight. But Mamoru…."

Then those pleading, pale blue eyes directed their attention towards him. "Ah-I don't really…. um..." he hesitated.

"Please," she begged, _those eyes_.

"I-uhm…"

* * *

"You two have fun," Motoki called as Usagi dragged him through the crowd and into the next room.

"Chiba Mamoru," a tall, lanky guy smirked as he came up to them. "Never thought I'd have such an esteemed, honorable student show up to one of _my _parties."

"Hi Toshio," he greeted, looking around at the small room, couches and chairs lining all four walls, a cleared space in the middle of the room.

"Who's this," his classmate asked, head nodding to Usagi, "Your girlfriend or something."

His eyes widened and he shook his head swiftly. "Uh no, no, no, just a friend."

"Who's a girl," Usagi added, brightly. "Nice to meet you!"

"Well you guys can have a seat anywhere that's available, make sure you have a full cup, and have fun," Toshio explained, winking at Usagi.

Mamoru scanned the room for spots that would mean less contact with her but the room was filling up quickly.

"Maybe we shou-"

"Right here!" His blonde companion pulled both of them down on a couch, packed together with others.

"Okay," he mumbled, trying to scoot away from her but was blocked.

"Well let's get going!" Toshio walked to the middle of the room. "You all know the basics. Each person picks up a card I have here in my hand, that card will hold a specific task we have assigned to it and well, you either do it or we all do it together."

And off they went, going around the circle, one at a time, picking a card and performing whatever the card meant. And everything was going relatively well, each task was manageable - well as managable as a drinking game could be as you quickly spiraled down to the bottom of your cup. He was already feeling the fuzziness, his body relaxing and mind letting go with each sip and judging by her giggles and hiccups, Usagi was spiraling with him.

"Nine!" Toshio would declare each card in overdramatics. "Say a word to your neighbor and your neighbor then has to say a word that rhymes with your word and so on until you can't rhyme anymore."

"Pizza!" Usagi started, cheeks tinged pink from the alcohol.

"Uh cheetah."

"Diva!"

"Korea."

"Visa!"

"Arena?"

"Uh..umm," he tried not to laugh at her frenzied, wide eyed look, but it still came out as she deflated and took her sip in shame.

But eventually there were other tasks that should have been simple, but ended up being worse than he ever thought.

"Three! Take a piece of clothing off."

He swallowed down the lump in his throat, watching as she quickly shed her denim jacket, leaving her in a velvet, rose-colored tank top, the straps tied in little bows on her slim shoulders. He simply slipped off a sock as other players discarded shirts, jackets, even pants or skirts.

"Boo Chiba," Toshio pointed to him. "You're taking a shot because a sock does not count."

He shrugged, and obeyed the order as they prepared for the next card and he prayed it wasn't another three.

"Four! Everyone has to…. touch the floor!"

Drinks in hand, everyone dove toward the floor. Usagi reached the ground first, laughing the whole time, and he followed after her, fumbling and losing balance on his legs. Just barely catching himself with his arm, he hovered above her body, shaking hand curling into a pool of _too soft_, blonde strands.

He scrambled off quickly, taking the losing sip as he was the last one to touch the floor and he immediately sat down before anyone saw his lower body.

"Jack! Play a quick game of never have I ever with your neighbor."

"Never have I ever gotten straight As."

One of his long fingers curled down. "Never have I ever loved strawberry kit kats."

She huffed, but put a finger down. "Never have I ever called someone Odango Atama!"

He smirked as he accepted defeat. "Never have I ever seen that hairstyle on someone else."

"Never have I ever been a jerk!"

He snorted but didn't put a finger down. "Never have I ever had blonde hair."

"Hey that's not fair!" She pushed his shoulder back with an infuriated look in her eyes but they softened and she joined in on his laughter.

It was all innocent enough, the tasks safe enough, and it was just a game that got you drinking and laughing.

Mamoru had even found himself enjoying the time, having the bubbly blonde next to him helping him find the enjoyment, her shoulder bumping into his.

Until he flipped that seven. A stupid seven of hearts.

"And we have a seven," Toshio yollered excitedly. "Which meansssss…..Mamoru you gotta take a body shot off the person to your left!"

He froze solid, the fuzziness of the alcohol wearing off right away. His heartbeat accelerated dangerously, and he didn't need to turn since he'd been well aware of who had been sitting next to him.

Imagining it, the gleam of the alcohol spilled on the soft skin of her stomach, little beads slipping down her sides and into her navel, and him having to use his mouth and tongue to lap up every inch of it off of her, lick and suck the drink that had seeped in, and taste the salt of her delicate skin-

"No, no, no, no," he repeated, burying his face in his hands. There was _no way _he could do this.

"What?" Toshio said, thrown off.

"I don't think I can-uh," Mamoru fumbled for the right words, any excuse he could use to get out of this. "I just don't want to do this with her."

He peeked through his fingers and out of the corner, he saw an embarrassed blush cover her face and a terror ripped through him.

"It's weird since, you know, you're…." he trailed off, and she understood, nodding and eyes downcast.

"Right," she said, biting her lip but showcasing a sweet smile.

Toshio wasn't as understanding. "Too bad there's no excuse in the rules concerning 'it's weird'. Task is still a task, in this case a body shot."

"You can't be serious," Mamoru deadpanned.

The lanky teen raised his hands. "I'm sorry Mamoru but if I let you off, I gotta let everyone off. Matter of fairness."

His mind raced, wondering if it was too harsh to just up and leave, but that would mean having to leave Usagi's side.

"If you're more…..comfortable with it," Usagi hesitated, "I can do it...on you?"

"NO-I mean no, no, no," he declined hurriedly, thinking that would be even worse considering his body's response at just a hand brushing against her hair, imagine what her lips brushing against his stomach would elicit. "I just...I don't..."

She sent him a smile that shot straight to his heart. "We don't have to do it."

Toshio's smirk grew wider and he walked to the middle of the circle. "Well then, I guess we have a couple of quitters. And since they refuse to do the task that means, they'll be subject to house rules!"

A couple of people cheered while others giggled and grinned mischievously. "House rules?" Mamoru asked.

"In our version, when one does not accept a task, they will be forced to do a punishment task as assigned by the game masters."

"Punishment?" Usagi whimpered, eyes widened with fear.

"It's nothing serious," Toshio assured, his smirk growing less fun, more sinister, "But I have the perfect thing for you two."

* * *

"Toshio..." Mamore growled.

"So you know the deal. Seven minutes, do what you want, and we'll let you out when the time is done," the voice bellowed through the door. "And sorry about the location. We would have done a closet, but the bathroom has a lock."

"I'm not doing this!"

"Too bad, you already are."

He banged his fist against the wood. "This is my best friend's girlfriend!"

"_Okayyy_, don't do anything? You guys can braid each other's hair or make dresses out of toilet paper, _I don't care_."

Mamoru breathed in through his nose, calming down. "Toshio just-"

"Time starts now. Have fun!"

He slammed his forehead against the door, hearing the retreat of footsteps on the other side. Desperate, he tried the doorknob again, and still, it was locked.

He was locked in a bathroom - with barely enough space for just one person, let alone two - with Motoki's girlfriend, someone he needed to keep at least five feet away but now was less than a foot away, and that was even with him pressing his whole body against the door.

If he were to move wrong, he would most likely brush against her, he could end up right in front of her, close enough to feel her breath or smell the shampoo in her hair.

He hit his head against the wood once more, hoping he'd go on unconscious.

"Brightside," Usagi's voice hesitantly broke through their silence. "It's only seven minutes?"

* * *

"You think Chiba will do anything?"

Toshio snorted. "Please, the guy is so straight-laced. It's a shock he came to this party."

"What's going on?" Motoki's voice cut through the deep laughter.

* * *

"So...what are you studying?"

"Medicine," Mamoru responded, voice slightly strained. '_Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look...'_

"That's amazing," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. '_It's been WAY more than seven minutes.'_

"I'm studying social work!" '_Read the toothpaste tube, look out the window, do anything BUT turn around!' _

"That's…..beautiful."

* * *

"You locked them in there?!"

"Yea," Toshio confirmed, popping a few pieces of popcorn in his mouth. "'Seven minutes of heaven' kind of thing."

"Toshio," the dirty blonde said with a breathless laugh.

"Relax Motoki, it's _Mamoru_. I doubt he would ever make a move on her."

* * *

He swallowed, focused on breathing and keeping his mind either clear, or full of physics equations. Her presence was a divine poison, dangerous temptation to do something stupid and completely based on hormones. She was a person, nothing more and-and it was the alcohol too! His mind was fuzzy, he wasn't thinking straight, his inhibitions falling away, that-that's it….

But….

When he first saw her in the kitchen, there was no alcohol. Before the game - before he even took a sip of liquor - he felt the spinning in his head, the rapid beating of his heart, waves of warmth and...a feeling.

"Do you want to play a game?" Usagi asked, excitement laced through every word. "To make the time go faster..."

A feeling of a million fireworks bursting everywhere on his skin, in his mind, and inside of his chest. '_She's with Motoki, she's with Motoki, why would she ever want you…..'_

"There's-uh truth or dare, I spy, 20 questions," she listed, voice getting smaller, more uncertain, "We could play never have I ever again, like-uh before…"

He sighed, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I think we had problems with that game."

"Right, of course," she laughed. "How about I spy then?"

His heart twisted. '_I spy a fun, loud, beautiful person with blonde hair and blue eyes that's forbidden and I'm a horrible person because I keep…' _

"Not much to spy in here," he said.

It was right there at the muffled giggles - of all things - that broke him and he twisted his head around, and took a glance at her, taking in her flushed skin, dancing eyes, and

And suddenly, everything fell away. Any thought of trying to get out, to leave her, to avoid her...disappeared from his mind.

He leaned against the wall, facing her completely, hopelessly attempting to calm his breathing, and broke into a full grin. "I spy something blue…"

* * *

"Toshio, it's been more than seven minutes."

"Oh yea I'm well aware."

"Then why don't you open the door?!"

He shrugged his shoulders at Motoki. "I'm doing them a favor."

"What?" The dirty blonde questioned with arched eyebrows.

Toshio got up from the chair, slapping a hand on his shoulder, a smirk on his lips. "Hate to tell you Toki but your best friend and your girlfriend, I'm pretty sure they have the hots for each other."

* * *

"I spy something green."

His eyes searched. "Ummm...the soap."

"Yup," she chirped. "Your turn."

"Ah-I spy something lavender."

'_Of course he couldn't just say purple' _Usagi thought to herself. "The rug."

"Wow it's like it's right in front of you," he joked, kicking the mat towards her a little.

She laughed but hiccuped in the middle of it. The alcohol was wearing off slowly, and yet she still felt warm. He was wearing a lopsided grin, leaning against the door, looking too good in his dark jeans, that black knit sweater, and his eyes never stopped looking at her.

"I spy…." she paused, searching for something they haven't done yet, but she came back to look at his eyes, "..something blue."

"We did the towel already," he chuckled.

She shook her head, pigtails moving around. "This is something else."

Perplexed, he started looking around the tiny room, seeking out the item.

"It's dark blue," she continued, pushing off the wall, "There's two of them."

He became even more confused, and she giggled at his look. "Okay," she stared into his eyes, "I'm looking at them, right now."

His face froze, mind slowly processing and he looked down. "Uh-I.."

She took a step and was practically right in front of him. "I spy the most beautiful eyes."

He swallowed, thick, and he pressed against the door harder. "I don't think that's uh…. how you play the game."

Another step. "Should we switch games, then?"

Finally, she fell forward, face pressed against his hard chest. She breathed him in, like an absolute idiot, and she didn't regret it one bit because she had never smelled anything so rich or spicy, or exquisite.

He sighed. "You're just drunk…"

She shook her head against him and she caught his tremble. "No, I barely got half way down my cup."

He was so warm, and soft, and she never wanted to leave this. And her mind knew that even if it turned out horribly, it was worth a shot. "Maybe we should play never have I ever again."

"Odang-"

"Never have I ever been locked in a bathroom."

He snorted. "Now, you have-"

"You smell _really_ good."

"Usa-"

"Never have I ever dated Motoki."

She could hear how he caught his breath, chest stilling, fast heartbeat under her ear. A long stretch of silence happened, no sound besides the slight murmur of the music or their breaths.

"What?"

His response forced her to leave his body and let the rambling begin. "It was this whole plan, where I would be his 'fake girlfriend' so people would leave him alone about his break-up and everything was fine and working but then there was you and it's stupid but I can't stop-why can't you stop being you so I can…"

She felt the tears coming to her eyes. "I'm sorry, you probably think-you don't…."

"You were never dating Motoki?"

"No," she whispered. "Never my boyfriend."

She could hear him shift, moving from the door. From her downcast gaze, his shoes appeared right in front of hers, and she was too scared to see his face. A complete idiot, she had made a complete idiot of herself.

"Usagi."

She breathed in, preparing herself for the horror, disgust. Gazing up, she clashed with darker than before eyes. It was a moment of just staring into each other's eyes, questioning, wondering, until she jumped up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck and his mouth came crashing down with his hands wrapped in her hair.

She melted against his lips, then his tongue and she could taste the alcohol, the candy she fed him earlier, she could taste _him_, everywhere.

Frantic, rushed, blind , and suddenly she found herself sitting down on the sink, his hands gripping her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him.

"You actually agreed... to be someone's...fake girlfriend?" he muttered against her neck.

He kissed down to her collarbone. "It was... for milkshakes," she groaned out as his hands moved under her shirt, cool hands on her hot skin.

"Oh yea," he laughed, his lips settling on her stomach, "That makes sense."

His mouth attacked her belly button, teasing, sucking, swirling his tongue across the skin he had refused to touch before, the skin that had gotten them stuck in this bathroom. Then, he was placing wet, gentle kisses across her skin and she could only whimper and moan as the sensations rolled.

His thumbs pressed little circles into her bare hips, and his mouth stilled but his lips moved on her skin with his next words. "You're...100% single?"

"So...painfully...single," she breathed out, and his little huffs of laughter against her stomach resonated through her, to the point she let out a few breathless giggles herself.

The adrenaline, their emotional high, was slowly fading away, leaving behind pent up exhaustion and relief. He placed one last soft kiss on the curve of her belly, his steady breathing tickling her sweaty skin.

Mamoru straightened, eye level with her again, and let the silky material of her top slide back into place. Their shallow breathing mingled with each other, chests both moving up and down "_So-o_," he shuddered out, trembling hands clutching her waist, "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

A smile curled on her lips. She latched onto his shirt, pulling him closer and pressing their foreheads together. "Totally free."

Her heart swelled at the relieved smile that pulled at his mouth, then it was an obnoxious smirk. "I had to check to make sure you weren't busy, maybe you had to be someone else's fake girlfriend at noon or something."

She punched his arm and he flinched away, but again she grasped his shirt and this time, she pressed their lips together.

"You're a jerk," she muttered, and she felt his grin against her mouth.

* * *

"Hey, haven't those two been in there for longer than seven minutes?"

Motoki and Toshio grinned at the freshmen. "I don't think they mind," Motoki answered.

"Okay..." The teen shot the nonchalant, sandy blonde a weird face, and looked to the bathroom door with a confused glance.

How was the man so relaxed? Wait-wasn't it his girlfriend that was locked in there?

* * *

**Well I hope you guys enjoyed some part of this and hopefully the little, saucy part didn't sizzle too much. I'm sure there was a lot of hits and misses in this chapter but at least I tackled two tropes I've always loved so, hopefully I didn't ruin them. (P.S. it was fake dating and stuck in a small space)**

**Anyway last thing, HUGE HUGE shoutouts to Tina Century, FloraOne, and UglyGreenJacket for helping me get to this idea of this chapter if it wasn't me asking advice or just plain asking if this was a silly idea. Thank you guys for your help and encouragement!**

**Next Up: Memories...**


	2. Memories on a Page

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners. **

**A/N: Memories day! This one is much shorter and well I'll let you guys figure out where I placed this piece (this is canon set) Just a little moment I thought of for Memories and well, hit or miss really with this one lol**

**Enjoy! (Hopefully it's a little emotional? Hit a few heart strings? Just a bit?)**

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**Memories on a Page **

"Why the long face?"

She stiffened at his voice and she could hear her heartbeat, loud and pressing in her ears. "Nothing, I'm just tired. You know, being clumsy and s-stupid takes a lot out of you."

It was expected that he would accept the answer and move along normally, but he still stood there, waiting and _watching _her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

'_I'm not.' _"I'm fine."

She could see his feet shuffling, one would turn to leave while the other stayed rooted to its place. It was like he was fighting a war as one part of him had the wish to leave and another begged to stay.

So she made the decision for him. She stood up and left her booth, breezing past him and right to the automatic doors, resisting the overwhelming desire to run into his arms, tell him how much she loved him and never wanted to leave him again. And only in her wildest dreams did he ever express the same words to her.

The wind outside cooled her face and she hadn't realized how dark it had gotten. '_Mom's probably going to yell at me for being late.'_

She had barely left the sight of the arcade before she could hear her name being called down the street.

Mamoru, running down the street, something in his hand.

She wanted to crawl into a hole once he came close enough.

"You forgot your bag Odango," he said, breathless and smirking. "If you didn't have your brain-"

"-my brain attached to my head I would probably forgot that too," she finished.

"Uh yea," he hesitated, blinking, "How did you…"

'_You said it last year, when I almost walked out without it.' _"A lot of people say it to me, I guess."

She slipped the handle out of his soft fingers. "Thank you, by the way," she said, forcing a smile.

A shrill beeping filled the air and vibrated her bag, which she quickly threw open and dug through, silencing the damn alarm on her phone.

She groaned and was about to stuff the device back in and make her way home, but he was _still _there, and he caught the vibrant pages poking out of her bag pocket.

He nodded toward them. "Those are the drawings you were showing me a few days ago, right?"

She sighed, heart jumping to her throat. "Yea, I'm-uh doing a project for art class and I was-um testing it out on you." _Believable._

He snorted. "Well, it seemed Natsumi wasn't your type of audience."

"Nope," she said, sourly remembering the girl's mocking tone.

She flipped her bag closed and half spun on her heel before he stopped her, _again_.

"You never did finish," he added, causing her to cock a blonde eyebrow. "Natsumi interrupted you before you finished."

She blinked, confused at what he was saying. Until it clicked, and her eyebrows were still raised, but this time in a "you're joking" action.

He smirked, but it softened along with his sparkling, blue eyes. "Amuse me?"

With those eyes, the same ones she had fallen in love with across endless lifetimes, as Serenity, Tsukino Usagi, and Sailor Moon, she couldn't deny the chance that maybe… _please,_ _just maybe_….

"Okay."

The pages slipped against her clammy, trembling hands, and she blushed over her childlike pictures that were decorated with hearts and cartoon versions of the Dark Kingdom and their superhero alter egos. His former alter ego.

"I-uh…"

"You left off of at the prince protecting the princess," he pointed out.

She held the hope at bay. _Not yet, not so fast. _"Right."

She flipped around the paper, displaying a mini Tuxedo Mask defending Serenity from youmas to his eyes. "Even though they had been separated, Endymion was still determined to protect his Serenity. And they did find each other again..."

The next drawing, one of them with thought bubbles above their heads, depicting the memories of Silver Millennium that had come back to them at Starlight Tower. "They remembered their past together, but again were forced apart by the Evil Queen Beryl."

She watched him, searching for any spark of recognition she could, praying to find a way into his mind. Flipping to the next picture, she had drawn her final moment at D-Point, holding the shining moon stick as Serenity. "Princess Serenity was able to defeat the Evil Queen and save everyone but…."

_He struggled to make that lopsided smirk she hated. "Go back to being an ordinary girl and..find a cool boyfriend."_

_His heartbeat slowed under her hand. "No one's cooler than you Mamoru," she whispered as his eyes slowly fluttered closed, tears streaking the skin of her cheeks. "No one..." _

_She didn't realize she was screaming his name until her throat burned. _

"...she lost her prince," she choked out. Her whole body shook, and she had never wanted to break down more until now, right there on the sidewalk. She had never wanted him to remember more until now, so he could return her embrace, whisper how much he loved her and missed her, how he would _never _leave her again.

Why couldn't it be that simple? How much longer would this go on, her following him around like a schoolgirl who couldn't take the hint.

"His memories were taken away from him, and so he didn't remember Serenity," she continued, quietly. "So Serenity tried her best to make him remember, to not give up on their love…"

She wondered, what if it was the memories that clouded their judgement, and any feelings or emotions they felt were brought on by the recollection of their past, of their identities to each other. It would be easier if it was just the memories doing this. She could forget him, move forward without him but everytime she bumped into him, saw his face, thought about him….he consumed her, every inch of her heart, her body, her soul, everything.

There was one more page left.

She gazed up to see his face, and froze at his eyes. He looked at the pictures with no emotion, just processing the images he was being shown, listening to her voice, as if it was only a story, not his own memories, being told.

He looked to them as a stranger, unfazed.

She stopped, her hands falling with the papers. "I'm finished."

"But you still have one more page-"

"It's not important," she snapped, bending down and shoving the illustrations into her bag. '_Will he ever remember__…' _

"Usagi-" Her arm exploded in warmth at his touch, and the tears burned behind her eyes.

"It's getting late," she said, cracking a sad smile, hoping it would appease him, "I should go. I have to study for a test that I'll probably still fail."

He let go, but still regarded her curiously. "Are you sure you're okay Usagi?"

Was she? There she was, _literally _showing them their memories, their past, what was taken away from them, and yet there was not an ounce of recognition in his eyes, no reaction or rushing emotions where memories flooded his mind.

Were his memories locked away, or were they completely erased? Everyone else's were within reach, they all remembered and yet, it wasn't as simple with him.

"Yes," she answered, coughing to hide the way her voice broke. "Just...disappointed."

Shooting him a half-smile, she finally was able to leave, a confused black-haired _stranger_ left in her wake.

She made it past the corner, out of sight, before she slipped the colored pages out of the bag again, flipping to the last page.

The last page was meant for only her eyes. It was a silly drawing of just the two of them, not Serenity and Endymion, or Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.

Just ordinary Usagi and Mamoru, sharing a milkshake.

It was her idea of their perfect, happy ending.

And she realized it'll always _just_ be in her imagination.

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Something in him ignited and as if it wasn't in his control anymore, Mamoru's body entire turned and followed after her, rounding the corner and just barely caught the sight of the blonde wadding up sheets of illustrated paper and flinging the balls into a trashcan.

She sprinted away, gold pigtails falling around her.

He approached the container, easily fishing out the balled up papers that were perched on top of the trash pile, and very carefully, he pulled the papers apart, cautious to not rip the distressed material.

The illustrations slowly appeared with each pull and he pressed each paper between the metal edge of the trashcan and his palm, smoothing out the wrinkles as best as he could.

Flipping through the colorful drawings of princes and princesses and firey battles, an amused smile graced his lips at the childish but whimsical style. It looked as if she was creating a children's book with these kind of visuals.

He reached the last creased page, the one she didn't want to show him, a drawing depicting two people, a girl with blonde buns and pigtails and a black-haired boy, both drinking from a shared milkshake, little hearts placed in their eyes.

He swallowed, a wistful smile spreading across his face, fingers still trying to smooth out the page.

She had a crush, it was obvious, but it's been more than that.

"_Do you remember, Mamoru?" "Please remember…" "I'm not just Odango Atama." "Forget it…"_

It's like trying to finish a puzzle but missing almost all the pieces. '_Remember what?'_

What was he forgetting, what was she trying to get him to remember? How could it possible relate to anything in these drawings she drew. It all seemed make-believe with evil queens, forbidden love, and catastrophic battles.

His gaze returned to the picture, colored in with pencils, markers, and crayons.

Using the moonlight, he noticed fresh, wet spots decorating the page, and he rubbed his thumb against the areas, until he realized those were her tears that had hit the page.

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**Sad but obviously it is resolved and happy ending for all, as shown by canon sooo happy story in the long run lol I think so-so quality on this one. I always hated we didn't get a chance to see the rest of Usagi's story in that one R episode. (Damn it Natsumi!)**

**I always felt that the Ali and An Arc should have been longer and we should have seen Mamoru slowly fall for Usagi again (sometimes love is instant, sparks and fireworks, sometimes it's slow and intimate) so what I imagine is this moment in the very beginning since this episode was kind of in the beginning of the arc anyway so, explanation time over lol**

**So yup the setting was Ali and An Arc (huge fan of that arc) so this was my "episode" fix kind of? But done semi-well?**

**Anyway let me know what you think! Did it _totally_ suck?**

**Next: Items….**


	3. The Odd Life of the Ugly Green Jacket

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners. **

**A/N: Items Dayyyy! Okay this was strangely a really hard day for me to figure out lol (Shoutout to Tina Century for helping me out here because I could only focus on the Locket being an item but in Sailor Moon there's literally a million items XD XD)**

**Enjoy this little snippet, shorter than other chapters but I kind of like the length? Enjoy!**

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**The Odd Life of the Ugly Green Jacket**

King of the Earth, husband of Neo-Queen Serenity, doting father, owner of the Golden Crystal, former caped crusader...Endymion held many titles, received numerous honors…

But, a master of fashion, he was not.

It was any normal day in the Palace, one that any King of Earth would experience - breakfast, driving Chibiusa to school, a run-through of the schedule, signing any urgent documents or orders, staff meetings - everything was smooth, up until the subject of the monthly meeting with the city representatives came about.

"_I swear to Aphrodite and all the love and beauty in the world, you show up to a meeting in that lavender tuxedo one more time, I will use my love chain to strangle you."_

Venus immediately ordered _him _\- in front of all the giggling guardians and staff - to change, wear something-_anything _else that wasn't lavender or adorned with a cape, muttering about how people were supposed to count on a King "who can't even dress himself." (_'At least I don't dress like the inside of a cantaloupe.'_)

Reluctantly, he left the grand hall, but not before throwing a death glare at the smirking orange clad guardian. He _knew _she was enjoying every second of this humiliation, and he planned to take back revenge somehow.

So, there he was, aimlessly exploring his and Serenity's shared walk-in closet for an outfit that fit the specified criteria he was _so kindly_ given.

Shifting through suits, suits, suits, more suits, _oh a cape, and another cape_….

What exactly could appease the insufferable fashionista of Venus? Miss '_I've never been on Crystal Tokyo's worst dressed list, you have'_.

'_It was one time,' _he thought, and _now_ he knew cow print was not acceptable to the public.

He ran his hands through the silk button-downs, wool overcoats, pressed pants, dramatic capes all clasped to hangers. Maybe the simpler, the better in this case.

Sliding out a plain white dress shirt, and black slacks, Endymion nodded, congratulating himself on the outfit as he turned to leave, but a familiar splash of color caught the corner of his eye, and thoughts of confusion and shock filled him.

'_No way.' _He had thought it was lost forever-

The garments in his hand fell against a chair as he took two long strides over to the end of the closet, hands fumbling with the plastic covering that protected the material.

When was the last time that he had worn this thing-when was the last time he had _seen _it? How did it-who put it...

He was sure that in the middle of ascending to the crown, building Crystal Tokyo, moving to the palace, that it would have gotten lost or misplaced, or "_accidentally destroyed in a mysterious bonfire"…._

It had been years since he saw it, and strangely his heart tightened at the sight.

The clear wrapping fell to the floor and he slid the shoulders off the hanger. The color wasn't as vivid anymore, fading with age and there was a musty feel to the sleeves.

He breathed in, wistful gaze taking in the piece of clothing. Would it be creepy if - just for a second - he were to….

The cool sensation rippled through his arms as he slid into the sleeves. It settled into place on him, and the fit was tighter around his shoulders and arms.

Glancing into the full length mirror, many, different memories began to rush to his mind, heart brimming with emotions of all kinds.

The ugly green jacket, _his_ jacket. Still vomit green, still hideous, and still felt like home even a decade or two after its purchase.

He had fought many battles while wearing this jacket, bled on it after being stabbed by Zoisite, struggled to protect Sailor Moon in it - had _died_ in this jacket.

And still, he couldn't imagine himself ever hating it.

There were too many pleasant memories that came along with it, as well. He had found the love of his life while wearing it, had met many friends, found a family….

The King shook his head, throat thick with too many words.

It was just a jacket.

A stupid, green, _comfortable_ jacket.

He stared at his reflection, remembering being fresh-faced and young, jacket loose on his leaner teenage body. The jacket had been all straight lines, boxy form, no pockets, itchy when wet, and had been a bitch to dry clean. It was probably still all those things but now he filled it much more, and it hung shorter on his waist, his face older, wiser...

He barely noticed when the bedroom creaked open, but became very aware of the small hands circling his waist.

"Hey Mamoru-baka," she greeted, smiling against his back.

He smirked. "Odango Atama…"

They stood there for a while, her arms around him and his hands clasping hers.

She broke the silence first, bringing attention to the big, green elephant in the room. "Can I ask why the ugliest thing in fashion history is hanging on you once more?"

Laughing, he broke out of her arms to turn around, and observe her sparkling azure eyes, the one thing that could never be taken away with age.

His hands cupped her face and his thumbs caressed the skin of her cheeks. "I'm just...reminiscing."

Her eyebrows arched in that adorable confused way. "About?"

"This jacket," he whispered in awe, looking down, "It's been through so much, seen so much."

Her face erupted in pure amusement. "Honey, it's a jacket, not a child."

"I know," he chuckled.

"And it's still ugly," she pointed out. "I can't believe you actually wore this."

He cracked another smile, because as much as it became a staple in their past, he would admit it was not the most flattering color for a jacket. "You still fell in love with me."

"Oh I was just super desperate," Serenity shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh yes, that's totally it," he agreed softly, lips dipping to her soft ones, leaving a slow, lingering kiss that elicited a murmur from her throat.

"Although the purple pants were probably worse," she couldn't help mumble against his grinning mouth.

His laughs mingled with her giggles, and Endymion pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin on the top of his wife's head, in between her silver odangos. And he took it all in, with a shaky breathe, remembering that when he had worn this jacket, times had been darker and tougher, moments where he wrestled to survive, to hang on. But now, it was just a piece of his past-their long past that showed how far they did come from being just two teenagers that had the weight of the universe come down upon them.

The weight was still there, but at least they could share the weight together.

"We better get going," he kissed the silver crown of her hair, "Monthly meetings and all."

She sighed into him. "Let's _goooo_," she drawled out in a bored tone.

He chuckled at her tone. "I still have to change, otherwise Minako will have a stroke if she sees this."

A cheeky smile fell across Serenity's lips."You know Mamo-chan, there is a way you can make this jacket look good."

He cocked his head a little, humming against her forehead. "What is that?"

She shifted her head, pulling him down by the lapels so they became nose to nose, and he could see her darkening eyes. "Wear nothing, _but_ the jacket."

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**Item was the green jacket, yes! Gotta admit, I liked this chapter a little so hopefully you guys enjoyed some part of it too. Tell me what you think?!**

**(Oh p.s. I kind of wanted to leave it as a mystery of who left the green jacket in their closet. So who knows who - or what - put it in there ;D) **

**Next: AU Day (oh boy...) **


	4. A Bad Case of Kitten Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners. **

**A/N: Okay this took way too long to finish, like more than a month. I just couldn't find the right mood for this chapter and well I guess the end product is kind of silly, hopefully funny, and it's a little slapstick comedy. A lot of life obstacles have been thrown at me this last month so writing has been kind of the only consistent thing right now, but it's also been hard to get in the right writing moods. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy whatever this came out to be lol (sorry for spelling, grammar errors, this isn't betaed but knowing me I'll probably go back and fix such mistakes if they annoy me that much.)**

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**A Bad Case of Kitten Love**

"Stop movin- Hi, I'm here for a two o'clock appointment. Name is Tsukino Usagi."

The woman at the counter smiled and scanned her folder, eyes widening. "Yes! Your cat is here for a few shots."

Usagi patted the little container in her other hand. "Yup, my pet is here to get some needles stuck in her!"

"Well, uh-here are some papers to fill out," the receptionist hesitated, sliding a clipboard to her.

Usagi quickly shot a bright smile at the lady's confused gaze and shuffled away to a nearby plush chair. She gently placed the occupied carrier on the ground and balanced the clipboard on her knee while clicking the kitten-adorned pen in her hand, reading the lines of questions with a crinkle in her forehead.

'_So. Many. Questions.'_

Her parents had always had been the ones to take care of her cat, attending check ups, setting up the declawing appointments, buying the right cat food. But now that she was moved out and deemed what they called a '_responsible' _adult, they dropped all pet duties into her hands, since it was technically her that had wanted the cat.

After nearly four months of this new found role, the blonde was holding up well enough with her burdens, somewhat. (There had been a slight hiccup that involved cat litter…)

However, she was long overdue to get the required vaccinations you were supposed to provide for your pets, after a quick internet search, this veterinary had been the closest one to her work and, thankfully, they had an excellent rating.

But now was the true test.

_What breed is your pet? _

_When was their last check-up?_

_What is their age?_

She blinked, staring at the questions. People just knew off the top of their head all these things about their animals?

Her eyes closed. '_You would know these too Usagi, if you were a "responsible" pet owner!' _

Apparently, so much time had passed with her debating what to put down for answers that her name was already being called.

"Tsukino Usagi!"

'_Shit-damn it!' _She had barely finished writing down her own information.

Grabbing the little carrier's handle, the pigtailed blonde wordlessly followed the woman wearing scrubs through the door, down two halls, until finally she directed her towards an empty examination room.

"Ah-I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to finish the paperwork-"

"You're absolutely fine," the nurse said, accepting the unfinished papers. "Once the vet comes in, you can go through everything with him."

"Alright! Thank you." She nodded as the kind woman left.

Depositing the container on the metal surface, Usagi looked around the room, eyeing the large sink and sanitizing equipment, along with the numerous health charts that decorated the walls.

Her brow furrowed, concentrated on deciphering the graphs and facts presented with the skeleton silhouettes of cats and dogs, while on others it was birds and lizards.

She was in deep concentration reading one poster about the symptoms of rabies when the sound of heavy footsteps echoed into the room and made her swing around.

Any words she had, died in her throat, a tiny whimper coming out instead. The most extraordinary hue of royal blue pooled into two endless orbs, jet black strands feathering the piercing gaze.

She tried again to speak, to focus her brain on interacting like a normal person but her heart was thumping against her chest and it seemed that it had-

There was a noise. His voice.

She had to tune back into the conversation, watching his lips closely.

"...Luna?"

"Luna," she dumbly repeated, eyes glazed.

An adorable cease happened in between his two perfect arched eyebrows. "I don't think I'm your kind of doctor."

'_Ohhhh I think you definitely are-' _she snapped out of her ogling with an embarrassed blush. He was the _vet_! '_What are you doing Usagi?!'_

"Ah-sorry no," she stumbled, shooting out her hand. "I'm Tsukino Usagi and my cat is _Luna_, the patient."

His fingers were gentle as they wrapped around hers. "Hi, I'm Dr. Chiba."

Was her heart supposed to skip five beats at that tender smile? The blush that was flaming against her face, normal….right?

Their hands retracted and the tips of her fingers slid across his palm and she caught the slight shudder from him, and she pushed down the little smirk on her face when his professional aura seemed to crumble a bit. His startled eyes found hers, and quickly he diverted his eyesight away, clearing his throat and scanned the documents in hand instead. "Here for a shot, yes?"

'_Talk.' _"Uh-yes."

"And the nurse told me you weren't able to get to some of the questions on the paperwork?"

She snapped out of her glazed state and felt the nerves bubble up in her. "No, I wasn't. I'm sorry."

A soft smile beamed down at her, and the strength in her legs almost left her. "It's totally alright," he said casually, dropping the folder on the counter behind him, and then he moved to the hot pink carrier, "Let's just see how our little friend is doing."

Alarm sounds went off in her mind. "Fair warning, Luna doesn't warm up to strangers that quickly. Well not at all really…" Usagi vaguely recalled an old vet visit that ended with an ER visit and finger reattachments.

"It's okay, I've had my fair share of fussy pets." He unlatched the gate.

"I'm sure you have, but Luna is-is….is _passionate._" That was too nice of a word.

Flashing a reassuring smile and light laugh, Dr. Chiba bent down and reached a steady hand into the darkened carrier. "Hey Luna…"

She reached out a hand to him but instead she scrunched her eyes closed, not baring to see his handsome face mauled by Luna's claws and teeth.

It was a few moments later that she heard not screams of pain, but rolling purrs.

She peeked and could barely hide her sheer amazement at the sight.

Tall, dark and beautiful (her new nickname for him) had one hand hovering under the cat's tiny nose, fingers curled as she curiously inhaled his scent, and the other hand was slipping through her fur in soothing strokes, long fingers effortlessly moving and swirling along the dark hair.

It was really, really wrong that just watching those movements, tingly sensations shot through her legs.

"It's nice to meet you Luna," he cooed, smiling down at his patient.

'_Lucky cat,' _Usagi hissed in her mind. Somehow Luna could so easily bond with a stranger and _she_ nearly had her eyes scratched out when she had first found the wounded kitten in 8th grade.

Though, he was way easier on the eyes than she was so maybe the cat wasn't all that wrong.

"What's this on her forehead?" he asked, a pointer finger itching the top of her small head, just above the crescent-shaped mark.

Usagi's brows knitted together, observing the impression. "We really don't... know," she hesitated, "I know some vets did tests on it but nothing ever came back, good or bad. I just call it a bald spot."

He nodded, a corner of his mouth hitched. "And in the shape of a crescent moon."

"Ha, yea, that's always been super strange," she laughed.

"You're very unique Luna," he said affectionately, scratching her tiny head, while the black feline purred lovingly, and pressed herself against his wandering hands. "Where did you find her?"

A sheepish smile sprouted on her lips. "Umm..I kind of just found her. On the street, like six years ago?"

His eyes flashed up to hers in a mix of surprise and confusion.

"I was walking to school and I found her lying on the sidewalk with bandages on her forehead, I kissed her to comfort and she attacked me but then she started following me around and she just kind of became my cat," she rambled, a frown deepening on her face at the memories. "And so we don't really know that much stuff like her birthday or breed or history…"

He nodded again, bending his head down towards Luna but Usagi could see him bite his lip and the slight shake of his shoulders.

"What?"

His puzzled gaze found hers. "Excuse me?"

"What was funny?" she questioned, cocking her head to the side.

He seemed to panic for a second but kept his composure. "Nothing was funny…."

Her frown deepened and she narrowed her eyes. "No, I saw you laugh."

Again his little lip bite that she fruitlessly attempted to ignore. He opened his mouth, but he faltered and instead an amused smile took him over completely. "It's just...I've never heard such an uh-interesting pet story."

"Interesting?"

"Yes," he laughed, and then cleared his throat, "Most people I know wouldn't kiss a wounded kitten they find on the sidewalk to 'comfort' them."

She huffed, only slightly confused on whether she should be offended or proud. "Well you don't know me."

His eyes raised up to hers, a wondrous glint dancing in them as he glanced over her face and her hair, particularly eyeing her hair buns. "You're right," he agreed, a half-smile fixed on his lips. "I don't."

That blush that she had fanned down before, awoke once more all over her skin. So what he said before was a compliment? Or maybe a back-hand compliment-no, no how was it back-handed?

She returned his smile, feeling a tad light-headed from staring at such intense - and so gentle - eyes. He seemed to be like that. Striking, sharp, towering yet his movements and voice were delicate and calm as the sea, and his smile was soft and open.

Electricity shot through her at the sight of his panicked look when he realized his too long staring and she gladly welcomed the warm, pleasant bubbling sensation that settled in her stomach.

"Is there a way to figure out her history and information?" Usagi asked, genuinely curious about her pet but secretly _more_ devoted on listening to his voice.

He nodded again, looking down to Luna, who was still basking in the attention of his hands. "Well, judging by her fur and body, my best guess is that she's a bombay cat. That breed kind of resembles mini panthers."

'_She certainly has the aggression and claws for a panther…' "_Yea, that makes sense."

"And for her age-" He paused, stopping his petting movements, and dipped one hand into his lab coat pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses.

But to be more specific, there were somehow thee most sexiest pair of glasses she had ever seen. Or maybe it was how they framed his dramatic eyes perfectly, or possibly it was the way he wore them - not too loose, but enough so that they would slide down his nose just a bit when he looked down to meet Luna's wide-eyed gaze.

Usagi could only stare, and then blush furiously when she was caught by him when he peered over the top of his glasses and clashed with her blues.

Daring a peek over to him, she was pleasantly surprised by a slight redness spreading over his face as well and a small grin flashed on his face.

"Her eyes seem to be good, no cloudiness or jagged irises so she's most likely under ten years old, and her skin shows no excessive sagness so going by when you found her..." he stopped, eyes calculating. "I'd say Luna is around 7 or 8 years old."

"Wow," she uttered, looking down at the purring feline. "You're a hell of a doctor."

He broke out into that grin again. "Thank you." He left one last good scratch behind Luna's ears before coming back to his full height again. "I've always loved animals and helping people."

"I can see it - how much you love your job," she beamed. "How long have you been doing this?"

He tilted his head, thinking. "Just over two years. I'm still studying to be a doctor - a human doctor but I'm very content here as a veterinary."

'_Oh good lord. He's going to be a doctor too?' _she groaned in her head. '_Abort mission, he's way out of your league idiot.' _

"What do you do?" he asked casually.

She froze at his question, and felt a sudden, unfamiliar embarrassment over her job creep up. At most times, she's been proud of her work, talking off anyone's ear about her achieving her ultimate dream job, but comparing it to saving lives, it definitely paled in comparison. "Ah-I work at Kodansha comics," she answered quietly. "..as an intern."

"That sounds like a fun environment," he said, writing something down on his clipboard. "Do you like it there?"

She could feel herself brighten and the words came out so quickly and passionately. "Oh yea, it's been my dream to work there and everyone's so nice and encouraging. Like on Tuesdays, we eat these huge cookies that the marketing department has specially made and they have these little designs on them that resemble manga covers-" '_Rambling….' _"-yea it's cool to work there."

She was sweating under her heated blush now. Such a simple yes or no question and she was about to vocalize a whole novel about her love for Kodansha comics.

"That does sound amazing," he replied, face twisted in an amazed, fascinated way where his eyes sparkled and his lips were pulled into a smirk.

"Yea," she breathed out, finding herself mindlessly petting Luna's fur who had been eyeing both with wide red eyes.

He took a step to the counter behind him, looking over a few pages on his clipboard, back turned towards her, so she took the window of opportunity to glance over him in his lab coat, and the adorable paw print design adorning the back.

"The logo is really cute on the back," Usagi complimented when he faced her again with a pair of latex gloves.

He chuckled, the latex snapping against the skin of his wrist while he adjusted them on his large hands. "I was a little against it at first."

"Oh come on," she chided, "How can you not love a little paw print like that."

His smile widened and _wow his teeth were so white_. "Hey it grew on me after some time."

Exploring the little tray perched on the table, he made quick work out of the syringe and tiny medicine bottle, extracting the liquid with the needle and flicking his finger against the cylinder a few times. "Well let's get going and I'll be out of your guys hair in no time."

'_No, you can stay in my hair as long as you want. Stay in my hair-touch my hair.' _She wanted to slam her head on a wall just for the sheer hope that it will release her from the ridiculous thoughts.

Dumbly following his instructions, she positioned her hands on Luna, gently pressing her down on the table, holding the cat in place while he explored for a safe space to insert the shot. It was swift and painless as he pinched a roll of skin and fur, pushing the sharp metal in and injecting the liquid until the end.

He dotted the area with a wet cotton ball, stripped off the medical gloves, and promptly finished up his paperwork on the clipboard, though she found herself not wanting the appointment to end so soon. Maybe, just as a suggestion, ask if he wants to get coffee later?

He was Luna's vet, so it wasn't that weird right? It's not like he's _her_ gynecologist or something, though…. '_Usagi, focus you freak!' _

'_Okay, okay, just ask if he wants coffee. He must like coffee, right? If not, go get….milkshakes? No, no, no, stick with coffee Usagi, coffee.'_

"S-so Dr. Chiba-" her voice was so damn shaky that she cringed at herself "-what are you, uh doing after….."

She made the mistake of loosening her grip on Luna, who gratefully took her chance at freedom and slipped away from her owner's hands and jumped off the table.

"Luna!" The feline barely registered the call and wandered around the room, smelling the sterile furniture. "I'm sorry-Luna, come on. Luna!"

_Unbelievable, _she was in the middle of making the single most important and nerve racking date proposal ever, and the little beast has the gull to upstage her. And now the audacity to ignore her! "Luna!"

In hindsight, on her part, it wasn't the smartest decision to go chasing after a cat who she knew from experience was annoyingly agile and devious. Usagi fruitlessly chased her tail around the room, over-dramatically diving there and here when she thought she had the dark sea of fur in her clutches, which was a wildly amusing spectacle for the one, handsome audience member.

"Just give me one second," she called out to him, twisting her body to try and reach around a table.

A toothy grin was stretched out over Dr. Chiba's face as his eyes danced over the grueling chase. "I'm guessing you do this a lot?"

Usagi almost had her but the silky fur slid right out of her grasp and she barely caught herself from falling on the floor. "More times than I can count," she grunted.

"Need help?"

"No, no I'm alrig-" she really did land on the ground that time after Luna squirmed her way out of her hands _again_.

"Well maybe four hands are better than two in this case," she lamented from the floor.

Letting out a heavy laugh, he joined in on her mission to capture the escaped patient, blocking Luna from escaping out the door with his large form. It became a cat and human chase around the room.

After some teamwork (and knocking things over and her falling over and over) they trapped the furball in a corner and just as the blonde was about to safely apprehend Luna, the cat shot in between her legs, and made a b-line to the man behind her.

The slim feline slithered her way up his tall body, clawing into his clothes as she climbed and didn't pause until she became perched on his broad shoulders. He leaned forward, bending his knees to accommodate his unexpected passenger while Luna made herself comfortable around his neck.

"Oh my god, Luna get off of him!"

"It's alright," he reassured, smiling as Luna nuzzled his cheek with the top of her small head, "Obviously she's a shoulder cat."

Inching closer and closer with her hands to the unsuspecting cat, Usagi offered a sheepish grin. "She does it to strangers a lot."

Dr. Chiba stood still as possible while Usagi remained quiet enough to finally grab Luna with her two hands. But with the slightest brush of her fingertips to her fur, the feline propelled herself off the human perch, making Usagi misstep (_she still doesn't know how it happened_) and fall right onto the handsome vet.

In reflex, her arms wrapped around his neck to stop the trip down to the floor and his hands reached out grasping her waist to steady her.

The scene could have been ripped straight out of one of the romance mangas she collected. The way their wide-eyed stares found each other as he slowly straightened them, but never broke eye contact with her once, and his hands didn't stray from her waist even when she was standing just fine.

It was _that _kind of moment.

With flowers and stars floating around in the background behind them, the magnetic, electrically-charged air where you could cut the tension with a knife.

His face was so close to hers-more importantly, _his lips_ were so close to hers. A mere head nudge forward and they could touch and _god how do those lips feel?_

Usagi was all too ready to find out, but the most loudest, _annoying_ purring echoed through the room, making him shake out of it first. Those dark blue eyes drew several emotions of clarity, concern, and then panic as he quickly turned away from her and put several spaces between them.

Luna was sitting calmly on the exam table, little head cocked and innocently staring at them.

The sensible parts of her brain regained control, snapping her out of the haze and focused her attention on the black cat. She lunged forward and grabbed her, and the little pest didn't even bring up a damn fight this time.

"Luna," she hissed, firmly securing the small body in her arms. "One of these days I'm going to switch you out for a puppy."

Usagi let her trot back into her pink jail cell, and the blonde offered up an apologetic smile to the vet. "Sorry for the trouble," she said, voice squeaky.

"It-it's totally alright," he stuttered, running a hand through his hair and _holy shit _did it look silky as hell when he did that. "At least I know now Luna gets her exercise."

"Ha, good one," she laughed, throwing her head back for extra effect but instead slammed the back of her head into the wall and yelped. "I'm fine I'm fine," she assured with a full face of red when he stepped towards her looking concerned.

After clarifying some risks she should be aware of due to the shot (she could barely concentrate with the dull ache and ringing in her head), he lead her out of the examination room and down the hallway towards the waiting room.

'_Okay, it's your chance to try to ask again, do it do it do it-but keep it smooth.'_

"Dr. Chiba?"

"Yes," his eyes found hers.

She. Just. Had. To. Say. It. "Ah-I want to umm…."

'_Oh come on! Fearless Usagi where are you?!'_

"I want to uhh, just…"

His eyes were only focused on her and yet she felt her eyes darting everywhere but him.

"...want to thank you." She deflated a bit as the words rolled out of her mouth but threw a grateful smile at him. "For dealing with Luna and everything."

He laughed, pulling out a piece of paper from his coat pocket. "Of course. And here's my card, it has my work phone in case of emergency or if you have any questions later."

"Oh thank you," she said, accepting the small card from his hands and bowing.

A moment of silence and he cleared his throat, knocking on the carrier softly. "I'll see you next time Luna." His eyes landed on hers then and there was a tiny spark in them. "It was nice meeting you Tsukino-san. Good luck at Kodansha. "

"Nice meeting you," she choked out, weakly returning his wave as he disappeared from view in the hallway.

After setting up the next appointment with the receptionist, Usagi reluctantly dragged herself out of the clinic and towards home, fluorescent carrier hanging from one hand while the other fiddled with the card.

_Chiba Mamoru, D.V.M._

A soft smile curled on her lips. '_Mamoru_.'

His name suited him very well.

She sighed, dropping the card into her bag.

He was just her vet, someone she will see once a year, maybe even less, and that was perfectly….fine.

* * *

Every pet owner's main concern should be about who's taking care of their animals. So it was only within her rights to make sure Luna was in the best of hands.

Her looking up Dr. Sexy Eyebrows on the internet was justifiable, because it was all for Luna's safety and well-being. Not creepy. Not a crime.

Usagi tapped away on the keyboard and hit enter, the list of links appearing.

_Chiba Mamoru _

The veterinary's website came up but it had only been basic non-personal information such as work contact information. But, scrolling down, she did find an adorable, but short, paragraph describing him.

_An all around animal lover, Dr. Chiba treats every pet that comes under his care as if they were his own family. As he carefully nurses your precious companions to perfect health, Dr. Chiba also takes the time to know your pets and comes to love them each. He is more than qualified, not only because of his advanced skills, but also his compassion. _

Her heart melted at the fluffy description, which, in her opinion, did capture his essence.

And there he was, silky hair and tender smile, shining bright at her. Although, she felt slightly different towards the picture.

She had been captivated by the striking eyes, a suave allure that had her legs weak, and a pair of thick, nerdy glasses that fit him perfectly. However, now as she looked at his pixelated handsome face, he appeared so sweet, adorable and even a bit boyish that it made her heart flutter and melt. The heavy intense shades of blue staring back at her were more vulnerable and soft.

'_Okay, so he's super good-looking, the sweetest guy, loves pets, and ridiculously out of your league.' _Her frown deepened as she scrolled down the search results page and a few random instagram accounts popped up under the name, but all were private. Maybe she'd get better results with Facebook or Tw-

Usagi thread her fingers through her blonde bangs. '_This is wrong, this is borderline stalker behavior Usagi. Leave this guy alone.' _

She felt the couch bounce slightly and felt Luna's silky fur slip against her bare arm and her tiny weight press into her lap. "Why do you get to have the sexy doctor Luna?" she mumbled, cuddling with the cat.

The only answer she got was a low 'meow'.

"Yea, I feel the same way."

Six months. It would be six months until she would see those deep blue eyes and that beautiful smile of gleaming teeth again.

They had a moment, right? Maybe he felt it too, the same way she had?

It wouldn't hurt to see him again, just to check and see if there really was a spark. Just one time couldn't hurt.

* * *

"Tsukino-san?"

The thrill that rippled through her spine at his voice was so uncalled for. "Dr. Chiba, hi!" she greeted, sitting up from her seat as he walked over to her.

He wasn't wearing his lab coat this time, instead it was just a grey dress shirt and black tie, with those black slacks that fit him perfectly around the waist. "What's wrong?"

Focus on speaking, not his toned forearms. "Oh-oh nothing I'm sorry for just popping in suddenly, ah-I just had a few questions."

She felt paralyzed by the blue, concerned orbs staring at her so intensely. Oh this was not a spark, this was a whole fireworks display. '_Okay then ask him out. That's why you're here, right?'_

"If you're not busy-" Her stomach twisted into horrible knotts that left her struggling to breathe. "Do you want to uh-"

'_Food. Just say food. "Do you want to food?" Just say something.'_

Why couldn't she just say it?!

"Tsukino-san?"

With his voice echoing in her ears, Usagi's emergency mode was switched on, dialed all the way to max. "Do you know if cats can have strokes?"

* * *

"Wow you really do suck at this flirting thing," Minako joked from the couch.

"No, I don't!"

"Then how come everytime you try to ask him out, you lie and say something's wrong with Luna," the red-ribboned blonde challenged, flicking to the next page of her magazine.

Triple checking she punched in the number correct, she bravely pressed the call button. "I just really like this guy, okay?"

Minako snorted. "How great can this guy be if he deals with cat diarrhea and injects shots into butts of animals…."

"_SHHH_," Usagi hissed as the ringing continued.

Her hand was so covered in sweat that the phone almost slipped out of her grasp when the line connected.

"Hi Dr. Chiba! It's Tsukino Usagi…. No, no it's nothing serious, I was just calling about a concern I have."

She frantically waved to Minako for help, but the blonde casually waved back without so much as a glance and turned another page.

"The concern?" Usagi repeated back to him, pacing around her apartment. "Uh-I'm scared that-that…."

'_-you'll reject me if I ask you out? That I can't speak recognizable words in the presence of you. That you think I'm super weird.'_

"Luna has diarrhea!" That statement certainly got Minako to look up at her rambling friend with a smirk.

Usagi sent a glare at her as she spoke into the phone. "Yea, it's different colors..."

* * *

"You were highly recommended so I figured why not go see you," Minako explained brightly, swinging around her orange cat carrier.

Usagi plastered a huge smile on her face. "Why not tell my wonderful cat friend about this awesome veterinary so her cat can get the same amazing service."

Dr. Chiba nodded, giving the two blondes in front of him a friendly but perplexed grin. "I'm happy to hear my services are so praised?"

"Right! Usagi is such a nice friend and amazing person for doing this!" Minako exclaimed, so much sweetness laced in her voice that it would give anyone within a mile a toothache. "Seriously, she's amazing."

"Okay," he hesitated, expression still a mix of confusion and kindness. "Let's get started on-"

"Artemis," Minako supplied as they followed out of the waiting room and towards the door. "He's a feisty little thing, let me tell you."

The pigtailed blonde could only punch her friend's shoulder when she whispered, "He's not _that_ cute."

* * *

Shining the light into the small mouth, he checked the back of her throat, searching for any hazards. "Well Tsukino-san, I don't see any abnormalities."

"I'm sorry! I could have sworn she was choking," Usagi lied, eyes wild and blush redder than before.

He clicked off the tiny flashlight, pushing back his glasses. "It might have been a hairball," the doctor said

As he straightened up, Luna followed, leaping up to his shoulder and planting herself firmly.

"Luna," Usagi groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry."

"It's totally alright," Mamoru reassured, using an arm to support the feline roaming around his upper body, sniffing and licking at his coat and face. "Having fun there Luna?"

As if responding to the statement, the cat rubbed her head against his cheek lovingly.

The blonde could only shoot daggers towards her pet, who seemed to freely enjoy the feel of her fur against his skin. Her frown deepened thinking how she couldn't crawl up his body, press her face against his, nuzzle into his neck, use _her _tongue on him-

"Do you have any other concerns?" he asked as he guided the cat back down to the table.

"No, no, no," she giggled nervously.

He slipped the glasses off (_thank god she was having way too much trouble focusing on him_) and pocketed them. "Are you sure?"

"Yea, yea of course!"

"Okay," he smirked. "I've just checking since this is your third visit this week."

She froze, hating the way he was smiling at her all knowingly. "Ah-I'm just worried about my precious cat Dr. Chiba."

He nodded, but his amused eyes could see straight through her. "Oh of course."

'_Oh god does he know? Have I been too obvious?' _Of course she has! And now she was the wacky client (now practical stalker!) who he totally knew had the hots for him. '_Leave leave leave leave abort mission, LEAVE!' _

She threw him her brightest, most honest smile. "Well, thank you again Dr. Chiba for seeing us and all your help." The blonde nearly shoved Luna back into the damn carrier so at the very least, she could leave the building with some honor.

How could she be so stupid as to believe that doing this would - what? Make him like her, make him ask her out? What she did was completely embarrass herself and lost her shot because she didn't know how to properly flirt with boundaries. It was all too clear that now was the time to go home and wallow in defeat with ice cream, her playlists of piano music, and force Luna to cuddle.

Barely out the door, his voice halted her. "Wait!"

Twirling back around with her flowy skirt, Usagi watched as he pulled one of those business cards he gave her at the first visit from his pocket and clicked open a pen, scribbling something on the blank back side. "Here."

Plucking the card out of his fingers with a confused look, a new phone number ran along the back. "I already have your work numb-"

"That's my personal phone-my cell phone number," he cut in, stuttering.

Adjusting the heavy cat carrier on her arm, she looked down at the card again with a frown. '_His cell phone number?'_

"You know just in case you have an emergency and you really have to get in contact with me and I'm not in the office…" he trailed off, hand on the back of his neck.

Peering up and seeing his blushing face, everything clicked, her eyes doubling in size and she nearly let go of Luna's container. "_Ohhh_!"

He choked out a laugh that sounded both relieved and scared. He wore that same innocent, sweet expression from his profile picture on the website, the very same one that had caused tiny, pleasant flutters in her chest. This one was tinged with a bit more embarrassment and his eyes looked much more concerned.

He was asking her out, but left it in her hands to decide, quite literally. This was his phone number, he just gave her his _personal_ phone, to do what she wanted with it.

She was weirdly comforted knowing she wasn't the only person in the world that sucked at proper flirting. That someone that looked like him was as flustered and nervous as she was.

Mini Usagi occupying her mind was doing cartwheels while the rest of her body felt warm and bursting with excitement that _she_ was actually being asked out by _him_. She bit down on her lip, suppressing the wide, giddy grin. "I'll definitely give you a call if something comes up."

"Don't hesitate for anything," he added, a beautifu, toothy grin erupting on his lips.

"I won't Dr. Chiba."

"Uh Mamoru," he corrected. "You can call me Mamoru."

Her teeth let go of her swollen lip, quite possibly the biggest smile in the history of smiles overtaking her face. "Usagi," she replied back.

* * *

**Phew! Finally finished AU and now hopefully the last prompts will come out way more quickly and on track-ish? Again, this was a silly prompt I thought of Hoped you enjoyed and tell me what you thought!**

**Next: First Kiss...**


	5. Never Been Kissed

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All rights to respective owners. **

**A/N: So a year later, I have first kiss! And it really is weird that it took this long for like four pages of writing. It's here though and it's not the best work but it's ehhh at least! Also this isn't a really popular series of mine but I still wanted to do it justice and finish it!**

**Anyway, first kiss, silmil, putting both Sere and Endy on an even, awkward playing field so enjoy!**

* * *

**Never Been Kissed**

The second he met her, he was sure that there had never been anyone else like her in all the galaxies.

He had never seen such serene blue eyes before, so lit with soul and heart and so mesmerizing that he could forget his own name if he stared too long. It was as if those eyes had spent so many years gazing up to the Earth, night after night, and suddenly the color of the planet's infinite oceans had permanently mirrored itself into these eyes.

Her hair pinned up in those unique shapes. Long silky, silver streams of hair framing her form in delicate waves. And her voice always light, always joyous or curious. The endearing way she would stutter and struggle with pronunciation over words in his language while he was able to pick up on her dialect rather quickly frustrated her.

But he loved her voice and how she made up her own version of the words. How she was always excited, open to explore every piece of land or mysterious wonder he could show her in his kingdom. The glowing crescent that exposed her secret and their taboo, resting above her wide, shining eyes.

She lit up his life the way her home brought light to his during the night.

He had spent every single moment since he first met her at the gardens, soaking up every little detail about her, to every white strand of hair falling into her face to every delighted gasp she made when she saw something new to her.

He knew he was lost, found it so after only a few visits and he would go through his days and beg for nightfall to come faster. And the feelings that swelled in his heart when he spent time with her, it was more than he had ever felt in his life. For a while, though, he maintained a distance from her in fear that she didn't see him as anything more than a friendly - still forbidden - companion in her exploration of the world she had long dreamed of.

It wasn't until one particular visit that the mood shifted. When they were coming back from a walk by the water, making their way through the patch of woods near the palace grounds, late into the night as always, and while his eyesight had learned to adapt to the darkness, Serenity's hadn't. All it took was an overgrown tree root for her to take them both down.

They had laughed and smiled, having landed too close together on the muddy ground and it grew quieter once her puffs of breath were felt on his face and her eyes were the closest they had ever been to his. Nothing had happened but he would never forget the way his heart had jumped when her gaze had briefly stopped at his mouth before nearby footsteps had made them both quickly scurry away.

He brushed off the moment because it really could have been his imagination, pure accidental and he really shouldn't have thought about it so much. They had friendship and that was all it would ever be, no matter if his heart ached at the thought and earned for something different.

Then another incident happened. And another happened afterwards, as did another. It was always the same atmosphere of getting too close, cloudy blue eyes, the glances, and once he had leaned into her. Of all the times, however, nothing had truly happened.

Something would distract or interrupt them and they would go on as normal with blushes running across their faces.

The little incidents and what it all meant became a constant thought in his head and it started to slowly consume him.

His eyes began to center too much on her mouth when she would bite down on her lower lip in concentration. Or when the residue of a fruit would stain them. Or when she simply smiled at him and he forgot about how dangerous this all was.

But then his hands would shake, his face would get too warm, a pit would form in his stomach - before Endymion had rarely ever experienced any wary or unsure moments in his life but suddenly being nervous became second nature.

This was unfamiliar territory, unfamiliar feelings to understand. Since he could remember, there had always been a distance he put between everyone and so intimacy, affection….they weren't needed or wanted in his life. He could only focus on becoming the leader that his people deserved, nothing else.

But he wanted to keep _this._ He wanted to keep _her_.

He had finally gotten a taste of what it was like to have someone who affected you in the best ways possible, and now couldn't imagine ever letting it go. And it scared him because what if he did lose her.

It would only take one mistake and the fuming relations would be ignited with an even larger fire between their worlds.

He had originally concluded that he should keep their contact strictly innocent, and politely keep distant from her as best as he could. But his mind (or perhaps more his heart) had other plans and tortured him with the idea of what if he were to act on his heart.

To feel her lips, to be loved by her, to be someone to her.

It was like dreaming during the day, planning the moment where he could kiss her. A romantic atmosphere but not too ambitious and she would be bathed in the light of her home. The nerves would be gone and he could see her eyes wide and waiting, staring at him in that intensity that could bring him to his knees.

Then he would agonize over details.

What if Lunars had different customs, different displays of affection that he was not aware of? It distressed him so much that he nearly went on a search through the imperial library for the few scrolls and books detailing the Moon culture.

But those worries were soothed during one of those usual late night visits of hers, when he had led her to the stables and she'd been so amused with the horses, placing a delicate kiss on the long snout of the white animal.

Then the next night, after showing her the crisp, shifting sands of the shores, and before she reluctantly disappeared, she pressed her lips against the skin of his cheek, a different form of goodbye than they usually did that left the deepest redness to his face for the rest of his night.

He grew so restless, wondering if he should plan out the perfect moment to ask this girl, who occupied his mind like no one else has, if he was worthy enough to touch her lips, to be allowed into her heart how she was already allowed into his.

He already knew he wasn't and she would know as well and realize what they've done so far was immoral, and unnatural in the cosmos. That was a recurring horror for him, that she would stop seeing him because the natural laws that had been instilled in both their respective worlds would become too much for her.

But it didn't stop him from finding the right moment.

And he did find one.

He knew it was the perfect time, felt it in his bones that there wasn't any other ideal time or place he could possibly think of.

The Aurora celebration, one of the most enchanting and peaceful festivities his culture held, where the skies above them would become illustrated in incredible natural lights.

And it was something that was just as magical as her.

* * *

It was after hours of vigorous dancing, congregating with the townsfolk and other kingdom leaders that had traveled their long ways to see how the sky would be painted with colors of light. It had been as beautiful as all previous years.

Of course, everything had paled in comparison for him once the courtyards grew quiet, some time later and he was there with her, finally holding her hand, leading her through an unknown trail, his heart thumping out of his chest.

They came to stand on a grassy, empty field, far away from the deserted town center, wearing dark cloaks he brought along to cover their forms.

Her eyes widened under her hood, astonished and dazed as she stared up, the soft azure color lighting up brighter than the skies right above them.

The sight was breathtaking, as if an artist took various colors and splashed them across a dark canvas and she soaked it up in wondrous curiosity. He relished in these kinds of moments too much, the kind when she was truly stunned and engrossed within the earthly experience, her eyes shining and lips parted in shock.

"It's a celebration for the goddess of the dawn," he explained, voice quiet and amused. "The elders think she creates these or another theory is that it's our ancestors dancing in the heavens above us."

"Wow," she breathed out, her hood slipping off and long white strands escaped from her braids as she tilted her head upwards in awe.

He could be set ablaze and it still wouldn't tear his eyes away from her deep, thoughtful gaze that took in the unbelievable sights.

And it was a beautiful one and it appeared even better than it did hours before. Have the dawn lights always been this stunning? This bright? This sense of mystical, spiritual contentment clinging to the air…..

Hiding his trembling hands in the folds of the cloth, he forced his quaking voice out. "Serenity."

The colors glowed against their forms, blues to greens that cast shadows on her face and his heart turned louder and all the little worries returned to his mind as she locked eyes with him.

He fumbled for the practiced words he had prepared. "Would….do….can I…"

He had never done this before. He had never been this close with anyone, had never wanted something so much.

Licking his lips, he stared into her wide eyes, and braced his heart.

"May I kiss you?"

Her darkening, eager eyes were his first answer, but she nodded, pink lips parting.

She was so close and the lovely scent of the fresh flowers - the ones he had gifted her earlier - twisted around her long strands of hair, a sight that had distracted him during the journey here.

The whispering voices of fear grew even more, made him unsure, and filled his thoughts with sights of tragedy, worlds on fire, broken bodies, and falls of empires because of a deadly connection, a meeting that should have never happened in the first place. With this one gesture, this one kiss, it would seal their fate that this truly was against every godly, natural law that had been set by both of their civilizations. A single touch and he might lose her at the end because of it.

It frightened him like nothing before.

And so, he never hated himself more than when he turned and his mouth brushed against her cheek in an innocent, secret kiss instead.

It had been foolish to amuse the idea of them being anything more than this, to risk her safety because of his silly, childish infatuation. His cheeks flamed with embarrassment, ashamed at his cowardice.

As he pulled back, she frowned, deep and confused.

He swallowed down the thick lump that had formed in his throat and shifted to move backwards, but her hands on his chest stopped him.

He met her hopeful gaze and felt her fingers tug his thick, black robe toward hers, and he almost fell against her lips but was just barely able to steady himself.

"Can _I _kiss you?" she whispered to his mouth.

She was practically illuminating under the green and blue gleam, the white, luminous skin of her face and hands glowing and her eyes wide, expecting. He stared for a few seconds, seemingly unable to comprehend that maybe she had been thinking about this too.

He didn't even realize he had moved his head, mind hazy and delirious from her closeness, as his lips whispered, "Yes."

And she smiled brighter, breathed out a little harder, and those endless blue swirls in her eyes caught on his lips.

There was no time to think once he felt the soft press of her mouth on his.

First it was unsure movements, finding himself stiff and floundering against her amused, slightly upturned lips. Cumbersome, as he expected a first kiss would be for him. Her muffled giggles fanned across his face until finally he wasn't fumbling and he stole a gasp from her.

Their lips slipped against each other more easily, confidently, and he forgot every little whisper, erased the horrid images from his mind's eye.

He realized he could never go back. They could no longer reassure themselves that their meetings, seeing each other like this was harmless because now it was acknowledgement that this - each other - meant something much more.

It ran deep into his veins as his nose slid against hers, his breath becoming hers.

Everything was complete at that moment, a full circle. With an ending to a search they never knew of and a beginning to an endless, illicit love.

It was as if they were molded to fit each other perfectly, his hands against the smooth skin of her neck and blushing cheeks, her smaller hands running up his sides. It felt right, right and true to be here. Like he was born to love her, and to be nowhere else in the universe except with her because _she_ was his whole universe and he would be eternally lost to her.

* * *

**I've always wanted to write Endymion more in a 'Mamoru' light since Serenity and Usagi are similar. I hope some parts were good and hopefully I'll finish the rest of this series much more quickly lol **

**Next: Break up and make-up**


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